A city in the heart of Europe

The city of Essen offers a unique blend of industrial charm, modernity and extensive green areas. An exciting mix of culture and recreational activities creates a perfect framework for your visit.

The smoke stacks of long ago, and the black soot which fell like snow onto the white laundry of the workers' housing estates, are now only part of the Ruhr region’s history. Tourists are quite frequently amazed at how green Essen and its surroundings are. But the city of Essen and the Ruhr region are determined not to forget their roots. Mining and industry are still omnipresent, if only as monuments of abandoned coal mines and blast furnaces. It is exactly this rough charm that made the Ruhr region the European Capital of Culture in 2010.